Electrical distribution centers are being widely used in automobiles. The electrical distribution center is a central junction box or block system designed as a standalone assembly which can package various fuses, relays, and other electrical devices in a central location. The electrical distribution centers not only reduce costs by consolidating these various functions into one block, but the electrical distribution centers also reduce the number of cut and spliced leads which help to ensure reliability. Such electrical distribution centers include provisions for electrically connecting a power source and electrical devices housed in the junction block to electrical wiring harness connectors for supplying power and control signals to various electrical systems of the automobile such as an air conditioning system, a fuel system, lighting circuits, instrument panels and to provide signals to engine and auxiliary systems such as anti-lock brake wiring assemblies.
Polehonki et al. entitled “On Harness PCB Electrical Center” and assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,727,022; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; discloses an electrical distribution center assembly having an upper housing, a circuit board, and a lower housing. The upper housing includes a plurality of upper terminal receiving cavities and the lower housing includes a plurality of lower terminal receiving cavities. The circuit board is disposed in the upper housing below the upper terminal receiving cavities and includes a plurality of terminals mounted thereto which have contact portions above the circuit board that are disposed in the upper terminal receiving cavities for engaging mating terminals plugged into the upper terminal receiving cavities. The plurality of terminals also have contact portions below the circuit board that are disposed in the lower terminal receiving cavities for engaging mating terminals that are attached to the lower terminal receiving cavities. It is imperative that the contact portions below the circuit board be aligned with the center of their intended mating lower terminal receiving cavity. Alignment of the contact portions below the circuit board with the center of their intended mating lower terminal receiving cavity has typically been accomplished using the interface between the upper housing and the lower housing. However; prior to the upper housing, with the circuit board mounted therein, being attached to the lower housing, the circuit board may have some freedom to move laterally within the upper housing. This lateral movement of the circuit board within the upper housing may allow the contact portion of the terminals below the circuit board to be misaligned with respect to their intended mating lower terminal receiving cavity to a degree that does not allow the upper housing to be properly assembled to the lower housing. This misalignment may result in increased assembly time due to the need to manipulate the upper housing, lower housing, and/or circuit board to achieve proper alignment of the contact portions below the circuit board with the center of their intended mating lower terminal receiving cavity. This misalignment may also result in damage to one or more of the terminals if one or more of the contact portions of the terminals contact the lower housing, known as terminal stubbing, rather than each of the contact portions of the terminals below the circuit board being received within their intended mating lower terminal receiving cavity.
What is needed is an electrical distribution center and a method for assembling the electrical distribution center which minimizes or eliminates one or more of the shortcomings as set forth above.